1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a terminal fitting.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. 2006-228759, 2007-12341 and H11-219735 disclose conventional terminal fittings. A connecting portion is formed at the front end of each of these terminal fittings for connection with a mating connecting portion of a mating terminal. The terminal fitting also includes a bottom plate that is flat in forward and backward directions. Front and rear pairs of crimping pieces stand up from the opposite left and right edges of the bottom plate to form a wire barrel and an insulation barrel rearward of the wire barrel. The front crimping pieces are pressed from above and crimped to surround and engage a core exposed by removing an insulation coating at an end of a wire. The rear crimping pieces are pressed from above and crimped to surround and engage an insulated part of the wire in the insulation barrel.
A force that presses the crimping pieces of each of the above-identified terminal fittings from above is likely to act on the bottom plate while crimping the wire barrel and the insulation barrel, thereby warping the terminal fitting upwardly. More particularly, the wire barrel must be fastened strongly to the core. Thus, the crimping pieces are pressed from above with a large force that acts on the bottom plate and warps the terminal fitting upwardly.
If the wire barrel presses the core, the bottom plate is squashed and elongates in forward and backward directions, thereby elongating the entire terminal fitting. Elongation of the terminal fitting may cause problems, such as protrusion of the terminal fitting from a cavity if the terminal fitting is accommodated in the cavity of a connector or the like.
The wire may have a core formed by twisting strands made of aluminum or aluminum alloy. In this case, a force for crimping the wire barrel needs to be increased to destroy an insulating oxide coating formed on the outer surface of the core. Therefore, the terminal fitting is likely to warp.
The invention was developed in view of the above situation and an object thereof is to prevent a warping and/or elongation of a terminal fitting.